Chapter 26

26

" D o you think this is a good idea?" I asked Carter.

"I think it's better than good, it's a great idea."

We were in his truck on the way to a place called The Hole. The restaurant was so small and hidden between two other stores, if you didn't know what you were looking for you'd miss it. It also had the best jazz acts in all of Georgia come play. There was always music on the weekends but sometimes they had a performance during the week. It was also always packed. And with their rotation menu, you never knew what your food choices were going to be, just that they'd be delicious.

I loved The Hole. And under normal circumstances I'd be thrilled Carter was taking me on a date. But after the letter, hearing what Nick had said, then lying in bed listening to the muffled conversation between Carter, his dad, mine, Uncle Levi, and Uncle Clark I was in no state to go out.

However, Carter had been right about one thing. When the shock had worn off a tad I did find it hard to believe that someone would be able to get close enough to capture him. Not to mention, strong enough to subdue and move him.

And that's what the note had said. The person explained in detail how they were going to use a knife and carve him up while I watched. They hadn't threatened to shoot him, which they could do from a distance.

Carter had insisted on going out. He'd pulled out the emotional big guns and reminded me he'd wasted time and he wasn't wasting anymore. So there we were driving to a restaurant with the threat of Carter's demise looming over us.

I heard people talk about how in the aftermath of danger or during an extreme situation it made them appreciate what they had, even made them want to live life to the fullest. You know, make a bucket list and tick off all the things you wanted to do before you died.

That had not been my experience. I'd been in the throes of heartbreak and agony after what happened with Derek. I hadn't been in any sort of mind to appreciate anything.

Now, I could possibly see how that was true. A little . Someone threatening Carter's life did make me want to hold on tighter. Part of me wanted to lock him in the house so no one could get to him but a sliver of me wanted to pack everything I could in the shortest amount of time possible.

What the threat had done was made me realize with a hundred percent clarity was, I couldn't live without Carter. I hadn't allowed my mind to wander down a dark path picturing his death, but I did think about how I'd pushed him away and how I'd stupidly thought I could replace the irreplaceable.

"Can I say something without you getting pissed off?" I asked Carter.

"Can't answer that without knowing what you wanna talk about."

"Steve."

"Don't go there, Laney."

I had to. There were a few things we had to discuss.

"You know I work with him."

"Yep."

"So when school starts next month, I'm gonna see him."

Carter was quiet for a long time. Perhaps bringing up Steve while Carter was taking me on a date wasn't the best timing.

"Sorry. Maybe we should talk about this later," I muttered.

"No good time to talk about him." Then a pause before he asked, "Has he been bothering you?"

"Bothering me?"

"Calling you? Texting you?"

Carter was weirdly calm, he sounded more thoughtful than angry.

"Last time I spoke to him on the phone was when I was at the beach. The conversation was a little forced and distant, but he was checking on me and asking how my vacation was going. He's texted me once since I've been home, asking about you."

"Me?"

"Yeah. He knew we had history. After what happened at Tuesday's it was hard to miss. When he broke things off with me, he was gentle about it and told me to find what I needed to be happy."

"Right."

"He was asking if I'd found it and I told him I had."

"Did he know why you went to the beach? Why you were there alone?"

"No," I whispered. "I didn't tell him anything. He knew I was holding back. He'd asked why I was so sad, but I never told him."

I hadn't told anyone. I wasn't strong enough to talk about the baby. Thinking on it, I didn't have much to give anyone, not without Carter by my side.

"He gonna be a problem when you go back to work?"

"For me? No. He's asked me out plenty over the last two years but never pushed when I'd turned him down. Now that he knows about you, he won't ask again. He's a nice guy."

"Right." One word dripping in sarcasm said it all. He didn't think Steve was a nice guy and I smartly wasn't going to convince him. If the roles were reversed and he'd dated some woman, then tried to tell me she was nice, I wouldn't have been happy about it either.

Time to move on.

"Thanks for taking me out tonight."

"I'm slackin' on the date nights. This is only number two."

My belly flipped. Carter Lenox keeping track of dates. I never thought I'd see the day. It was a miracle I could smile at all after what'd happened earlier. But there I was sitting in Carter's truck, dressed up, going on my second date with him, and I was doing it—smiling.

"Thank you," I whispered close to Carter's ear so he could hear me over the music. "This was just what I needed."

We were sitting at a round top table at the front of the room but off to the left a bit. We had a perfect view of Tommy Feels. Dinner had been consumed, plates cleared, and I was relaxed. So relaxed I was leaning into Carter and my eyes were closed. The music was good, the vibe in the room mellow.

It was perfect.

"Welcome, baby."

Carter's arm was around the back of my chair, his hand on my shoulder and he gave me a squeeze.

"You gonna marry me, Laney?"

This time I didn't stiffen at his question. I smiled.

"Not yet, honey."

"Right." He chuckled.

We were in bed, Carter's face was buried between my legs, my hands in his hair, my knees spread wide, giving him room to work his magic.

Good God, he was good at this. Mostly because he loved doing it. Partly because he was a good listener and paid attention to every sound I made, every buck of my hips. When he did something I liked, he continued to do it. Now he was flicking my clit with his tongue and had added his fingers. Thrusting them in and out until he found the spot that drove me crazy.

His face came up and my hands lost purchase in his hair. "I love you, Laney."

"Love you," I panted, rocking my hips harder.

"Can't live without you," he continued, still fucking me with his fingers and I was close. "Marry me, Delaney."

My head tipped back and my eyes closed and I groaned at the sensations he was creating. My skin was on fire, my pussy was clenching, a tremble ran through me and Carter stopped.

"Not yet. Marry me."

"Carter," I moaned and lifted my hips. "I'm close."

"Tell me you'll marry me and I'll take you there."

Bastard.

Two could play his game.

My hand left the bed and went to my clit and rubbed hard, quick as lightning pins and needles pricked my skin.

Carter knocked my hand away and trapped it on the bed.

"Marry me."

"No."

"Marry me, Delaney," he growled.

"Not yet."

"Hands above your head," he demanded.

I did his bidding, he came up on his knees and drove inside of me with such force the bed shook.

"Yes," I groaned. "Harder, honey."

"Christ," he groaned. "So fucking sweet. Nothing better than being inside of you."

He didn't stop his punishing pace. Not when I wailed out my orgasm, nor when he built the second one and I was getting ready to tip over the edge. Carter wasn't making love to me. He wasn't even fucking me. He was proving a point and it wasn't lost on me. He was the only man I'd ever had, he was the only one I ever would. And he could take me on a wild ride or a sweet adventure. There was nothing he couldn't give me.

Carter shoved his face in my neck and sucked so hard I figured he'd left a mark. He gave me a quick nip with his teeth before his mouth was next to my ear.

"Mark this, Laney. You're gonna marry me. You know it, I know it, everybody fuckin' knows it. I'll wear you down. I'll ask a million times. Don't care how long it takes. But you will be my wife."

"I know."

He groaned against my skin and his body trembled. "Take it, Laney, and get there."

"I'm there, honey, don't stop."

"Delaney!" he roared, and I screwed my eyes shut as the most magnificent orgasm I'd ever experienced rushed through me. "I love you so goddamned much, baby."

I came awake and the room was pitch black.

Carter had now asked me to marry him eight times. Eight times he'd rocked my world. Eight times he'd made my dreams come true.

He was right, I knew I was going to marry him.

One day I'd say yes, but until then I was enjoying him asking.

I fell back asleep with my head on Carter's chest, his hand on my naked hip, and a smile on my lips.

One day.